The Gift
by PerpetualSnare
Summary: Caroline gives Adam a most precious gift before he leaves for New York. ***companion piece to "Something Blue" - a drabble written on a Sunday when I was bored***


Adam Kendall was engrossed in the last chapter of Dicken's _The Old Curiosity Shop, _when a knock sounded on the door to the small room that he shared with his wife Mary. He made his way to the door and opened it to find his mother-in-law, Caroline Ingalls standing in front of him.

"Hi Caroline, what brings you by today?", Adam asked warmly.

"I just saw Mary and Laura over at the restaurant…Mary said you'd be here. May I come in?"

"Of course", Adam said and ushered her in. Adam noticed that Caroline seemed distracted.

"Caroline, is something wrong?", Adam asked with concern.

Caroline hesitated before she spoke as if she were unsure of what she was going to say.

"Would you like to sit down.", Adam offered her the chair that he had been sitting in.

"No, that's alright. I stopped by today because I was sorting through my hope chest a few days ago, just trying to see if there was anything there that Mary should have before she left for New York and I came across something I wanted to share with you."

"What is it?,", Adam said and raised his left eyebrow. Adam couldn't imagine what could possibly be in Caroline's hope chest that would concern him.

"I really didn't know if you'd want to see it…but, since you will be moving, I didn't know when we would have the opportunity again."

"Caroline, what is it? ", Adam demanded.

Caroline reached into her reticule and produced what at first appeared to be a 4x5 piece of thick cardstock. She carefully handed it to her son-in-law.

"Oh my G…", Adam stopped himself before using the Lord's name in vain. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"I just thought you might want to see it", Caroline said softly.

"I forgot that we took this.", Adam said trying to not give away any emotion deeper than surprise.

"After the fire, I couldn't bear to look at it, so I hid it away.", Caroline admitted.

"He was such an angel", Adam said as he traced an index finger over the small head in the picture, "Mary looks so beautiful holding him."

Adam brushed moisture away from his eyes with the back of his hand. He didn't want to cry in front of Caroline. Caroline was at a loss for words. Here was her daughter's husband seeing a photographic image of his lost son for the first time. When the traveling photographer had stopped in Walnut Grove, Charles Ingalls had scoffed at Caroline's wish to buy a portrait sitting for the Kendalls and their new baby. Charles said the money would be wasted on a picture that the young blind couple wouldn't even be able to see. Caroline had insisted, telling her husband that she would keep the photograph as a keepsake of her first grandchild and that she would eventually pass it along to him when he was older. Never did she think at the time, that Adam would one day see the photograph.

The now sighted Adam Kendall peered into his sightless eyes trying to read into them, but they communicated nothing. The broad smile on his face however, spoke volumes. He stood proudly behind a seated Mary with his hand resting contently on her right shoulder.

"I was happy here.", Adam said earnestly.

"You certainly were."

Then Adam examined the bright smile on Mary's face and how it made the corners of her eyes crinkle.

"She's never been the same since that night. She hides it well most days, but sometimes she goes inside herself. It can be hard to reach her.", confided Adam.

"I know", Caroline said quietly

"Caroline, thank you so much for this.", Adam said, referring to the photograph that he held tightly in his hands. "I can't begin to tell you what this means to me."

'"I think I know.", Caroline said wistfully and got up to leave. Before she reached the door, she turned to Adam and said, '"Don't forget who you were in that picture and what you accomplished when you lived in Walnut Grove…carry that person with you and be proud of him, no matter what happens.

"I won't forget", Adam managed to choke out softly, despite the lump in his throat. Caroline smiled at Adam, and then left him to his thoughts.


End file.
